2003 Ford Ranger
The highest conventional-hitch rating for the 2003 Ford Ranger is 5,960 lb, the top of 23 rows transcribed from Ford’s 2003 Ford RV & Trailer Towing Guide. That row is printed for the 4.0L V6 SOHC, Regular Cab, 7-ft, Box bed, 2WD, 3.55 axle, Automatic transmission. Most configurations are rated lower: 22 of the 23 transcribed conventional-hitch chart rows for 2003 are below 5,960 lb. Across 23 manufacturer chart rows for 2003, ratings run conventional 1,580 lb to 5,960 lb; the engine, cab, axle ratio and package on your truck decide its number.
The build table for 2003 is not transcribed. This page will not multiply trims, cabs, and engines into trucks the order guide did not list.
| Hitch | Cited maximum | Configuration | Source grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conventional | 5,960 lb | 4.0L V6 SOHC, Regular Cab, 7-ft. Box bed, 2WD, 3.55 axle, Automatic transmission. | OEM chart |
Highest rows among 23 transcribed chart configurations. Most trucks of this model year are rated lower; find your exact configuration in the table below.
Source: Ford, 2003 Ford RV & Trailer Towing Guide, Trailer Towing Selector, pages 19 and 21; Explorer Sport Trac towing table, PDF page 22.
Spec sheet
6 of 25 fields cited; 1 estimate. Field index
Cited fields may cover selected trims or only part of a measurement. Read the configuration and source beside each value; a cited field does not mean every version is researched.
Towing
- Conventional maximum
- 5,960 lb. 4.0L V6 SOHC, Regular Cab, 7-ft. Box bed, 2WD, 3.55 axle, Automatic transmission.Ford source
- Gooseneck maximum
- Not transcribed for this model year.
- Fifth-wheel maximum
- Not transcribed for this model year.
- Tongue or pin load
- 596 lb tongue at the 5,960 lb conventional maximum. Illustration at 10 percent conventional and 15 percent in-bed, not a measured load or recommendation. Follow the trailer and vehicle instructions; actual load may be higher.Estimate
- Weight distribution
- Not transcribed for this model year.
- Trailer frontal area
- Not transcribed for this model year.
Weights
- Payload
- Not transcribed for this model year.
- GCWR
- 4,800–9,500 lb across 23 chart rows that print a GCWR (each row's GCWR is in the chart table and explorer)Ford source
- GVWR
- Not transcribed for this model year.
- Front GAWR
- Not transcribed for this model year.
- Rear GAWR
- Not transcribed for this model year.
- Curb weight
- Not transcribed for this model year.
Body
- Wheelbase
- Not transcribed for this model year.
- Bed length
- 7-ft. Box, 6-ft. BoxFord source
- Bed width and depth
- Not transcribed for this model year.
- Cab-to-axle
- Not transcribed for this model year.
- Overall length, width, height
- Not transcribed for this model year.
- Ground clearance and angles
- Not transcribed for this model year.
- Fifth-wheel clearance
- Not transcribed for this model year.
Power
- Engine, horsepower, torque
- Not transcribed for this model year.
- Transmission
- Not transcribed for this model year.
- Fuel type and tank
- Not transcribed for this model year.
- Drivetrain
- 2WD, 4WDFord source
- Axle ratio
- 3.55, 3.73/4.10, 3.73, 4.10Ford source
- Tow package
- Automatic transmission; Ranger Edge; Automatic transmission; Ranger Edge; Manual transmission; Manual transmissionFord source
Bed, tongue weight, and wheelbase
The trailer rating is one limit. The bed has to fit the load, the tongue or pin has to fit in payload, and the wheelbase is the column the chart uses.
- An illustrative 10 percent of the 5,960 lb conventional maximum is 596 lb of tongue weight. This is not a measured load or recommended percentage; actual load may be higher.
Bed capacity · Tongue and pin weight · Wheelbase · GCWR, GVWR, and GAWR. Wheelbase is not transcribed for this year. See the spec sheet for the sourced GCWR and its configuration.
Estimate payload margin and bed volume · How these limits work together
Change from 2002
- Conventional: 6,020 lb in 2002, 5,960 lb in 2003 (-60 lb).
Generation
Compact Ranger
2003 is year 6 of this generation (1998–2011). The compact U.S. Ranger that ran through 2011. Ford then left the segment until 2019.
2003 towing by engine
Lowest to highest printed rating for each engine across 23 transcribed chart rows. A missing hitch means the chart did not print one for that engine, not that it is zero.
| Engine | Conventional | Chart rows |
|---|---|---|
| 4.0L V6 SOHC | 3,120–5,960 lb | 7 |
| 3.0L V6 | 2,340–4,100 lb | 12 |
| 2.3L I4 | 1,580–2,240 lb | 4 |
Highest-rated configurations
| Trailer | Engine | Cab / bed | Drive | Axle / package | GCWR | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,960 lb Conventional | 4.0L V6 SOHC | Regular Cab, 7-ft. Box | 2WD | 3.55 · Automatic transmissionnote 1 | 9,500 lb | Page 21, Ranger table, row 4.0L V6 SOHC 3.55 GCWR 9,500, column Regular Cab 4x2 7-ft. Box, Automatic transmission |
| 5,860 lb Conventional | 4.0L V6 SOHC | SuperCab, 6-ft. Box | 2WD | 3.55 · Automatic transmissionnote 2 | 9,500 lb | Page 21, Ranger table, row 4.0L V6 SOHC 3.55 GCWR 9,500, column SuperCab 4x2 6-ft. Box, Automatic transmission |
| 5,740 lb Conventional | 4.0L V6 SOHC | SuperCab, 6-ft. Box | 2WD | 3.55 · Ranger Edge; Automatic transmissionnote 3 | 9,500 lb | Page 21, Ranger table, row 4.0L V6 SOHC 3.55 GCWR 9,500, column SuperCab 4x2 6-ft. Box, Automatic transmission |
| 5,680 lb Conventional | 4.0L V6 SOHC | Regular Cab, 7-ft. Box | 4WD | 3.73/4.10 · Automatic transmissionnote 1 | 9,500 lb | Page 21, Ranger table, row 4.0L V6 SOHC 3.73/4.10 GCWR 9,500, column Regular Cab 4x4 7-ft. Box, Automatic transmission |
| 5,580 lb Conventional | 4.0L V6 SOHC | SuperCab, 6-ft. Box | 4WD | 3.73/4.10 · Automatic transmissionnote 4 | 9,500 lb | Page 21, Ranger table, row 4.0L V6 SOHC 3.73/4.10 GCWR 9,500, column SuperCab 4x4 6-ft. Box, Automatic transmission |
| 4,100 lb Conventional | 3.0L V6 | Regular Cab, 6-ft. Box | 2WD | 3.73 · Automatic transmissionnote 2 | 7,500 lb | Page 21, Ranger table, row 3.0L V6 3.73 GCWR 7,500, column Regular Cab 4x2 6-ft. Box, Automatic transmission |
| 4,040 lb Conventional | 3.0L V6 | Regular Cab, 7-ft. Box | 2WD | 3.73 · Automatic transmissionnote 2 | 7,500 lb | Page 21, Ranger table, row 3.0L V6 3.73 GCWR 7,500, column Regular Cab 4x2 7-ft. Box, Automatic transmission |
| 4,000 lb Conventional | 3.0L V6 | Regular Cab, 6-ft. Box | 2WD | 4.10 · Ranger Edge; Automatic transmissionnote 3 | 7,500 lb | Page 21, Ranger table, row 3.0L V6 4.10 GCWR 7,500, column Regular Cab 4x2 6-ft. Box, Automatic transmission |
| 3,940 lb Conventional | 3.0L V6 | SuperCab, 6-ft. Box | 2WD | 3.73 · Automatic transmissionnote 2 | 7,500 lb | Page 21, Ranger table, row 3.0L V6 3.73 GCWR 7,500, column SuperCab 4x2 6-ft. Box, Automatic transmission |
| 3,820 lb Conventional | 3.0L V6 | Regular Cab, 6-ft. Box | 4WD | 4.10 · Automatic transmissionnote 2 | 7,500 lb | Page 21, Ranger table, row 3.0L V6 4.10 GCWR 7,500, column Regular Cab 4x4 6-ft. Box, Automatic transmission |
| 3,800 lb Conventional | 3.0L V6 | SuperCab, 6-ft. Box | 2WD | 4.10 · Ranger Edge; Automatic transmissionnote 5 | 7,500 lb | Page 21, Ranger table, row 3.0L V6 4.10 GCWR 7,500, column SuperCab 4x2 6-ft. Box, Automatic transmission |
| 3,280 lb Conventional | 4.0L V6 SOHC | SuperCab, 6-ft. Box | 2WD | 3.55 · Ranger Edge; Manual transmissionnote 6 | 7,000 lb | Page 21, Ranger table, row 4.0L V6 SOHC 3.55 GCWR 7,000, column SuperCab 4x2 6-ft. Box, Manual transmission |
- Automatic transmission; Value footnote (1): Available for fleet only.
- Automatic transmission
- Automatic transmission; Footnote (2): Ranger Edge only.
- Automatic transmission; Value footnote (4): 5,160 lbs. with FX4 Level II.
- Automatic transmission; Footnote (2): Ranger Edge only.; Value footnote (3): Also available with Tremor.
- Manual transmission; Footnote (2): Ranger Edge only.
Chart source: Ford, 2003 Ford RV & Trailer Towing Guide. The evidence column gives each row’s page and table.
Find your exact configuration (23 rows) →Download 2003 rows as CSV ↓
What changes the number
- Engine and transmission
- Cab, bed, and wheelbase
- Two-wheel drive, four-wheel drive, or all-wheel drive
- Axle ratio and tow package
- Conventional hitch versus fifth-wheel versus gooseneck
- People, options, and cargo, which spend payload the chart assumed was empty
Questions
- How much can a 2003 Ford Ranger tow?
- The highest conventional-hitch rating for the 2003 Ford Ranger is 5,960 lb, the top of 23 rows transcribed from Ford’s 2003 Ford RV & Trailer Towing Guide. That row is printed for the 4.0L V6 SOHC, Regular Cab, 7-ft, Box bed, 2WD, 3.55 axle, Automatic transmission. Most configurations are rated lower: 22 of the 23 transcribed conventional-hitch chart rows for 2003 are below 5,960 lb.
- Did Ranger towing change for 2003?
- Compare the cited 2003 figures on this page with the 2002 record. They are stored separately.
- Which configuration hits the maximum?
- The 5,960 lb conventional maximum is printed for the 4.0L V6 SOHC, Regular Cab, 7-ft, Box bed, 2WD, 3.55 axle, Automatic transmission.
- What tongue weight should I plan for a 2003 Ranger?
- At the cited 5,960 lb conventional maximum, an illustrative 10% assumption produces 596 lb of tongue weight. This is not a recommended percentage or a measurement; follow your trailer and vehicle instructions and measure the actual load. That load counts against payload and the rear axle rating.
Compare with
2001 · 2002 · 2004 · 2005 · All Ranger years